My Best Friend
by CountryPixie
Summary: Three separate times in Sarah's life that she thinks of Chuck as a best friend. The timeline ranges from before Chuck and Sarah meet to sometime in the future. First chapter is Sarah/Bryce, but the latter two are Charah.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I wish _Chuck_ was mine, but it's not. It belongs to Josh Schwartz (does anyone else think of _Spaceballs_ every time?) and Chris Fedak, and I'm sure NBC should be in there somewhere.

Summary: Three times in Sarah's life that she thinks of Chuck as a best friend. The timeline goes from just before Chuck and Sarah meet to sometime in the future.

A/N: This chapter is set while Sarah and Bryce are still together, so if you _really_ hate them as a couple, this chapter isn't for you. Check back for the latter two, though. You'll probably like those.

My Best Friend  
By CountryPixie

Chapter One

The two spies sat cross-legged on the bed, facing each other over the piece of chocolate cake they were sharing. Sarah moaned in appreciation as she took her first bite.

"This is just what we needed after today," Sarah said, refilling her fork and taking another bite.

"Hey, now. Leave some for me," Bryce joked. He finally took his eyes away from his partner to see that half of the piece was already gone. "Should I call room service for another piece?"

Sarah eyed the dessert. "Make it two," she answered. "Oh, and an order of fries, please. Chasing terrorists always makes me so hungry."

"Chocolate and French fries coming up," Bryce said as he picked up the phone. "Anything else?"

Sarah shook her head, mouth full. Covering her mouth with her hand, she spoke around her food, saying, "Not unless you want anything."

Sarah listened as Bryce placed an order for two pieces of cake, two orders of French fries, and a cheeseburger. She'd known he'd get the cheeseburger, but he didn't normally go for fries. Just goes to show that even after being partners for almost two years now, they were still learning about each other.

"Fries?" she questioned after he hung up.

"For you," he replied. "If you don't want them, that's fine, but if you decide you want more than one order, we won't be interrupted again."

"Thinking ahead," Sarah said. "No wonder you're such a super spy," she teased.

"I try," he said in mock humility, settling back on the bed.

"Don't get too cocky, Super Spy. You lost this mission's bet."

"I did not!" he argued.

"You did," Sarah asserted. "You said we'd crash two cars, I said one. We have the recording if you insist on arguing."

"No, I remember the bet. But we crashed two cars, not one."

Sarah cocked her head, trying to recall crashing more than one car. "We crashed the Aston, that's it."

"'That's it'?" Bryce repeated incredulously. "Director Graham is going to ream us for that one. And the Vespa," he finished, his voice triumphant.

Sarah snorted. "Vespas don't count as cars."

"Sure they do."

"You didn't think so when we were using it. 'Why not just issue us bicycles?' you said. You just don't want to lose."

"Fine. Here's what I propose," Bryce said, waiting until Sarah cocked her head and raised her eyebrows to indicate she was willing to listen. "We both lose."

"I don't lose," Sarah said flatly. "But we can both win."

"Agreed. And I think I should get to go first since you ate the entire piece of cake," Bryce said, gesturing toward the empty plate.

Sarah looked down, shrugging her shoulders in response. "Fine by me."

"Okay. Your first kiss," Bryce said.

Sarah racked her brain, trying to dredge up the memory of her first kiss. She'd spent most of her life pretending she didn't have a past, but as she and Bryce grew closer and closer, they began to share more information about their true selves. They both knew the dangers that knowing too much about a partner could bring, so they limited their sharing to one story per mission, and only then after one of them won one of their bets. Most importantly, they never named names.

"I got my first kiss when I was eighteen," Sarah said.

Bryce raised his eyebrows in disbelief, but he kept his mouth shut – another one of their rules.

"I didn't really connect to any of my classmates in high school," she said in way of explanation. "The one place that I stayed for very long...well, they had such perfect lives, but they managed to make drama where there was none. It bothered me. Even if I'd wanted to fit in, I wouldn't have known how."

Sarah looked away from Bryce; she could see the pity that always filled his eyes when she mentioned her childhood, and she couldn't stand it. Cursing herself for bringing up information not directly related to her story, Sarah continued.

"I started my training right before I turned eighteen, and I got my first kiss three weeks after. We'll call him Bob. Bob and I were often partnered up in training, and we really hit it off. I couldn't believe that a guy actually like _me_, and it turns out he couldn't believe I liked _him_. Fascination turned to flirtation, and then flirting became dating. Well, as much as two candidates can date during training," Sarah conceded.

Sarah had hoped that was enough, but Bryce was still looking at her expectantly.

"Oh, fine," she sighed. "We had our first real kiss on our second date. He'd taken me to dinner. It was only the cafeteria, but it was the best available. We talked about our futures, mainly. He walked me back to my room, kissed me goodnight, and that is the story of my first kiss."

Bryce continued to smile, never speaking.

"What?" Sarah asked defensively. "I told you the story. That's it."

"I highly doubt that was the end of you and Bob, but I'll just have to make do. Your turn. What would you like to know about Bryce Larkin?"

For a split second, Sarah wanted to ask for his real name. Every spy's most guarded secret was his or her name. There were rumors around the CIA that Bryce had never been given an initial alias, and Sarah desperately wanted to know if they were true. Asking that question would be too intimate for both of them, though, so she thought of another.

"Your best friend."

What she had thought would be a simple question was obviously much more personal than she suspected. Bryce's teasing smile faded, only to be replaced seconds later by the saddest smile Sarah had ever seen.

"My best friend. The best man I've ever known," he said softly, looking at the floor. Raising his eyes to Sarah's, he adopted a happier tone, saying, "Let's call him Charles."

Bryce opened his mouth to continue, only to be interrupted by a knock on the door. The two spies collected their food from the waiter and took it to the bed, digging in.

"Nothing like saving the world to keep you in shape," Bryce said. Sarah nodded her agreement.

"Where was I?" Bryce said to himself. "Oh, yes. Charles. We met on the first day of college. He seemed shocked that I was talking to him at all, and even more shocked that we shared the same interests. It took me about ten seconds to decide that he was the nicest guy I'd ever talked to, and probably ever will be."

"I ended up introducing him to my friend Jen. He introduced me to his friend, Drimes. He and Jen dated for about three years. Drimes and I never did," he joked.

"Charles was…the best friend anyone could ask for. If you needed anything, he was there, never asking for anything in return. There was one time," Bryce chuckled, "Charles and I were headed to 'the party of the year.' He was so excited, probably because it was his first date with Jen. We were walking there when we came across a little old lady who had fallen on the sidewalk. Charles insisted on accompanying her to the hospital, and he stayed with her until her daughter arrived, even though he was freaking out about Jen the entire time."

Bryce had spent most of the story staring at the floor, the bed, out the window – anywhere but at Sarah. Looking her in the eyes, Bryce smiled sadly, saying, "Charles was, still is, and always will be my best friend. Because of the life I chose, I can never see him again, and it kills me. If we were to ever run into each other on the street, he'd hate me, and I'd deserve it. He's safe, though, and I wouldn't trade that unless the world depended on it."

Watching her partner, Sarah was moved by his story. He was obviously leaving a lot out, and whatever it was was heavy stuff. Bryce's eyes were haunted as he remembered his best friend, but she could tell he loved this 'Charles.'

Abandoning her fries and reaching over his now cold cheeseburger, Sarah took Bryce's hand and gave it a squeeze. "Hey," she said, "I'm sure whatever came between you two can be solved."

Bryce shook his head and started to reply, but Sarah held up a hand to stop him.

"I'll likely never know Charles," she said, "but the guy you just described to me is not the type of guy who throws away friendship lightly. He'll listen to reason, and he'll forgive. At least think about it," she encouraged.

Bryce squeezed her hand in thanks. "I will," he said. "Maybe…someday. Whatever happens between us, he'll always be my best friend."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: _Chuck_ isn't mine. I'm just playing around with other people's characters.

A/N: The dialogue in this chapter comes from the second season episode _Chuck Versus the First Date_. I've changed Sarah's reactions a bit because I found her innocence a little hard to believe. Other than that, this chapter is according to canon, so that means no explicit Charah (yet). We all know how they really feel about each other, though, right?

A/N2: Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed last chapter. I was pretty amused by how many people said it was a good chapter _despite_ Bryce; I think that's how we all feel. Extra thanks to **coreymon77** for sending me a special welcome to the _Chuck_ fandom. You all are amazing!

My Best Friend  
By CountryPixie

Chapter Two

Standing in Casey's apartment, Sarah's mind raced with the information she had just learned. When Langley got the Cipher, the new Intersect would be ready. She and Casey had kept Chuck safe against all odds. Mission accomplished. All that was left was to tie up loose ends. She and Casey had each done this a million times; this wasn't any different. So why was she disappointed?

Looking over at Chuck, Sarah saw the hope and excitement on his face. He was an open book. Maybe finding the Cipher and bringing the new Intersect online was the best for everyone. He was too nice. A year of working with CIA and NSA agents and running from the bad guys hadn't changed him. He didn't suspect a thing. Well, she wasn't going to tell him. Even Chuck was learning that telling the truth wasn't always the best thing to do.

Leaving Casey's apartment, Sarah followed Chuck. Maybe he knew more than he was letting on. "Are you okay, Chuck?" she asked.

"Huh? Yeah. I'm uh…uh…I mean, I don't believe it, but…uh… I think I'm great."

Sarah felt the brief flicker of hope die. He would never see the containment team coming. He would trust Casey and her until the minute he died. A part of her wanted to scream at Chuck to run. He wouldn't get very far, but at least he'd have a fighting chance. Maybe she could go with him...

No. She was a spy. This was the life she chose. It was a hard life, it was a lonely life, but it was hers. And Chuck had his – for however much longer.

"You're going to get your old life back," she said, injecting as much enthusiasm as she could.

"Yeah. I was starting to think that you and Casey were going to be my spy protectors forever - or whatever the adult version of forever is."

One of the most important parts of being a spy is being able to read people. Sarah hadn't really had to exercise that part of her job since working with Chuck. He couldn't lie for anything. In fact, he was so bad at lying that he threw professional liars off balance. Presently company excluded, of course. She could tell that he had been starting to enjoy being a spy. Maybe she could still save him.

"Don't tell me you're going to miss all of this," she teased, thinking the exact opposite. If Chuck stayed a spy, he could stay alive. It wasn't the life he deserved, but at least it was a life.

"No. No, of course not. I don't think I'm really cut out for a job where you disarm a bomb, steal a diamond, and then jump off a building."

Just like Chuck to be so self-deprecating. He'd faced some of the most dangerous situations any spy could face, and he'd done it with almost no training. Spies were taught to be rational and unattached, but Chuck defeated the best spies in the world just by being him. With a little training, he could be the best.

"Well, you could have fooled me." She willed Chuck to hear what she was really saying, to hear that he _was_ a spy. He didn't choose the spy life, but it had chosen him, and it wasn't going to let him go alive. She had to make him see that.

"That's very kind of you to say, but I'm pretty sure my girlish screams in the face of danger give me away."

Sarah smiled, finding Chuck's innocence both endearing and frustrating. He played fast and loose with the girlish screams, but when it really mattered, he always came through. She _trusted_ him, and trust did not come easily to her. She couldn't lose him - not like this.

"So. What happens now? You're almost free. What are you going to do next?" Sarah was afraid she sounded like a broken record, but she didn't know what else to do. If she told Chuck the truth, he'd never trust her again. He had to save himself.

"Well, you know. I've got the Buy More…"

Sarah jumped on the opening. He didn't want to go back to the Buy More. He may not have loved his Nerd Herd position before the Intersect, but he'd hate it now.

"Chuck, can I tell you something?"

"Of course."

"You can do anything. I have seen you in action, and I'm not just talking about the bomb diffusing or the diamond stealing. I mean…anything you wanted, you could have."

She could see Chuck thinking about her words. He wasn't exactly catching her drift, but he was getting there. She still had a few days here. She could do this.

* * *

Sarah returned to her hotel room after her shift at the Orange Orange. She was conflicted, and she didn't like being conflicted. Hers had always been a world of black and white, but Chuck changed everything.

Chuck. Everything came back to Chuck. Before Chuck, she was a spy. What she wanted didn't matter. Before Chuck, she followed orders to the letter. Collateral damage was an unfortunate necessity. Before Chuck, she knew where she stood in the world. She was alone.

Now she had a date with Chuck planned for tonight. The spy part of her said that she had agreed so that she could put Chuck back on the right path. The rest of her was ecstatic.

Chuck was unlike anyone she had ever dated. Heck, he was unlike anyone she had ever met. He played the part of the awkward nerd, but he was so much more. He was sweet and funny, he was cute and charming, and he made her want to tell him things she couldn't even admit to herself. She looked forward to seeing him every day, and when they were apart, she was thinking about him. She had never felt this way, even with Bryce.

When she and Bryce had been together, it had never crossed her mind to feel guilty about keeping secrets. That was their job. She knew Bryce kept as many secrets from her as she did from him; the Intersect had proved that.

Bryce had told her about his best friend, 'Charles,' two weeks before he supposedly went rogue. Even as he had shared how much Chuck meant to him, he hadn't told her that he was working on a secret mission that revolved around Chuck.

Sarah smiled as she thought about how effortlessly Chuck wormed his way into the hearts of the world's hardest. Bryce was the consummate spy, but he had convinced Chuck's professor to conspire with him to protect Chuck. Casey was a super soldier, but he stood up to Director Graham and General Beckman on Chuck's behalf on a regular basis. And she… she was Director Graham's protégé, but she was willing to throw her training and her future out the window if it meant saving Chuck. She had to make him see reason.

Grabbing her head in frustration, Sarah let out a growl. This wasn't her. She didn't think about ways to circumnavigate the rules. Chuck was a liability. He was naïve, he was defenseless, and he had to be taken care of. And somewhere along the way, he had become important to her. What kind of person has to think about whether or not she should let someone close to her be killed? Worse, what if Graham and Beckman ordered her to kill Chuck?

Sarah collapsed onto the bed next to her. She couldn't do it. She _could not_ kill Chuck. When it came right down to it, Sarah would rather die than hurt Chuck. Suddenly, Bryce's actions made a lot more sense. She couldn't hurt Chuck anymore than Bryce could when they'd been best friends.

'Friend.' The word had always seemed foreign to her. A friend is someone you tell all your secrets to, and spies don't tell secrets. Yet, Chuck knew her better than anyone. He knew secrets Bryce never knew about Sarah Walker. He knew secrets her father never knew about Jenny Burton. And he knew the truth about their feelings that they both pretended they didn't know.

The realization rolled over her in gleeful ways. Chuck was her best friend! She could be Jenny, Sarah, Sam, anyone – it didn't matter. Chuck would always be there for her. And so she would be there for him.

Resolute, Sarah stood up to start getting ready for her date. She would talk to Director Graham and General Beckman. She would make them see reason, and Chuck would be safe. If that didn't work, she would do whatever she could to save Chuck's future. That could wait, though. Tonight, she had a date with her best friend.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: Nope, not mine. None of it. Zip. Nada. Zero.

A/N: This chapter is set a few months from now. Chuck and Sarah are finally together!

My Best Friend  
By CountryPixie

Chapter Three

Sarah sat in the waiting room, immobile as a statue. She wanted to pace, to run, to scream, to do anything, but she held her body as still as death. Ellie and Devon sat across from her, heads together and whispering. Sarah was sure she was scaring Ellie, but her worry for Chuck was too consuming to focus on anything besides him.

"Sarah, Chuck's going to be fine," Devon assured her. "Appendectomies are very simple, and Dr. Ziegler is more than capable."

She knew she should say something, but she was afraid that doing so would break the control she was working so hard to maintain. She gave a tiny nod of her head in response.

Ellie leaned in close to Devon and whispered something. The fair-haired doctor nodded, squeezing his wife's hand before getting up and leaving the room.

"Sarah?" Ellie asked.

Sarah looked her in the eyes, but she made no other attempt to answer her.

"Sarah, listen to me. Chuck is going to be fine. I'm not talking to you as a doctor, or even as your boyfriend's sister. I'm talking to you as a friend, and as someone who has been in your position many, many times. I know what it's like to sit there and not be able to do anything."

Sarah frowned, having a newfound appreciation for Ellie. She'd always been in the action, but Ellie, even before learning about her family's secret lives, had always been waiting. Always known what it felt like to be this…powerless.

"It's not as bad as it seems," Ellie continued. "There are always things you can do to help, even if no one will ever know. You're already doing the most important thing."

She still hadn't moved, but Sarah was hanging on Ellie's every word. She knew Ellie was trying to draw her out of her frozen state; she couldn't decide if she was thankful or not, but she was certainly curious.

"What's that?" Sarah asked, speaking for the first time since she'd sat down half an hour ago.

Ellie smiled. "Giving him something to come back to."

Sarah sat there, stunned. Ellie had always been the one Chuck fought to come back to. She was the one that made Chuck do whatever was necessary to stay out of protective custody when Fulcrum was after him, and she was the one that he protected from the Ring. Ellie was the one Chuck came back to. Ellie, his father, his mother, and even Morgan to an extent. His family. Despite how close they had grown, she'd never thought of herself as someone Chuck felt he needed to protect. He was the one _she_ fought for.

"Sarah?" Ellie asked.

"Thank you, Ellie. Are you going to be all right if I go for a walk?"

"I'll be fine. Devon should be back soon."

Sarah stood up, but she hesitated leaving. The baby was due any day, and Sarah wasn't sure about leaving Ellie alone.

"Sarah, I'm fine. I'm sitting in a hospital," she said with a chuckle.

Nodding, Sarah headed for the door. She ran into Devon in the hall; he was carrying enough snacks to feed ten people. Helping him pick up a package of chips and an orange that he had dropped, they shared a smile and then went their separate ways.

Once outside, Sarah found a bench with a good view of the area and sat down. She appreciated everything Ellie and Devon were doing to allay her fears, but she couldn't forget Chuck's agony when he couldn't take anymore pain and had fallen on the floor of their apartment. They'd been enjoying an evening in with Morgan and Alex. The newer couple were snuggling on the floor, their backs against the couch, while Sarah was sitting next to Chuck on the couch, his arm around her. Chuck had gotten up to get more popcorn, and Sarah had gotten up to get more alone time with Chuck. He'd been acting a little strange, but she figured he would tell her if anything was really wrong. She'd been mistaken. He'd been hiding his pain all day, but it all had became too much, and he'd collapsed.

Sarah shook her head as she remembered Chuck gasping that he was fine. 'We're only on the second _Star Wars_,' he had said. 'Well, technically the fifth, but we're only watching the good ones tonight.' He'd been joking even as he was biting his lip to keep from yelling. Chuck repeatedly stood up to some of the worst people in the world, not to mention Casey, but a tiny vestigial organ brought him to his knees. Morgan had run to get Devon, leaving her to just stand there and watch.

From the way he was nursing his abdomen, Sarah had suspected appendicitis, but she hadn't been sure. She'd never been one to jump to conclusions, but she hadn't been able to stop the thought that something could have been fatally wrong. Devon had gotten there and confirmed her initial conclusion, but the thought of a life without Chuck wouldn't leave her mind.

Restless now that she had moved, Sarah got up and started down the walking path in front of her. She couldn't help but think of how completely different her life would be if there had never been an Intersect. It was possible she and Bryce might still be together, but maybe not. She thought she had loved Bryce, but now she wasn't so sure. She had never imagined a future with him, and she certainly would never have left the spy world for him. She would do anything for Chuck.

Without the Intersect, Chuck's father might still be alive. He and Ellie and their father could be a family, with Devon and any other future Woodcombs included. Chuck would have a girlfriend, and maybe even a wife. Whether that would have been Jill or another woman, Chuck was way too good and too sweet to be alone.

Sarah was surprised by the wave of jealousy that hit her at the thought of some other woman being as close to Chuck as she was. She knew Chuck was too good for her, but at least she was better for him than anyone else.

Devon stepped outside. Sarah saw him looking around, most likely for her, so she started back. Sarah smiled inwardly as she thought of how normal her life was becoming. Her boyfriend was getting an appendectomy, his sister was pregnant, his brother-in-law was looking for her, and she was accepted by Chuck's friends for who and what she was.

Finally catching sight of her, Devon raised his head in acknowledgement as she walked toward him.

"Chuck's in recovery," he said with a smile. "The surgery was successful, and he's going to be fine."

Sarah let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "Can I see him?" she asked.

"He's still in the recovery room, but he'll be out in under an hour. Can I get you anything?"

Sarah smiled. "No, thank you. I'm fine. How's Ellie?"

"She's great. She threw an apple at me and told me to stay out here until I learn that she's pregnant, not glass. Would you mind waiting with her?"

"Of course," Sarah nodded, heading inside.

* * *

"You're sure you're okay?" Sarah asked, standing in the doorway to their bedroom. Chuck was propped up in the bed, looking surprisingly well for someone still recovering from surgery.

"For the millionth time, yes!" he assured, laughing while he said it. "Go. Get some dinner. You still need to eat, too."

Sarah took a few steps toward the kitchen, then turned back around.

"I love you, Chuck."

Chuck looked a little confused, but he never hesitated in his answer. "I love you, too."

"It's just…" Sarah started, stopping as she came closer to Chuck. She knelt next to him, grabbing his hand. "I had a lot of time to think, and I realized that I don't want to know what my life would become without you in it. You are my best friend and the love of my life."

Sarah was sure she had never been so sappy in her life, but the look on Chuck's face was worth anything in the world. Chuck probably didn't find her words as sappy as she did.

Chuck rested a hand on her cheek, and she brought one of her own up to hold it there. She turned her face to press a kiss against Chuck's palm, then leaned up and pressed her lips to his. She had intended to just give him a brief peck, but Chuck brought up his other hand to hold her held there. The kiss was soft and slow, no urgency behind it, but it was intense. A lot of their kisses were hard and frantic, driven by passion; this kiss was fueled by emotions.

Finally breaking apart, Chuck leaned his forehead against Sarah's. "We're going to have to pick this up again once I'm recovered," he said, eyes twinkling.

"Oh, really?" Sarah asked with faked innocence. "I think I've said everything I need to say. What else is there?"

Chuck opened his mouth to answer, but he never got any words out as his mouth stretched into a yawn.

Taking pity on her boyfriend, Sarah patted his hand. "You rest. I'm going to get something for dinner."

Chuck nodded, and Sarah stood up and left. As she walked toward the kitchen, Sarah thought about how lucky she was. She had been ecstatic to find a friend in Chuck, and now she knew that he was so much more. He wasn't just her best friend. He was her everything.

* * *

A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read, and hugs and kisses to everyone who's reviewed. You guys are as awesome as Devon!


End file.
